This invention relates to a game device, a game machine operation device, a game system, and a game device two-way communication method, which for example, are suitable for a video game system.
Heretofore there have been video game systems in which controllers as operation means are connected to a video game machine main unit, and the game proceeds by the users manipulating the controllers. Video game systems adopt a fill-duplex communication system as their system for communication between the television game machine main unit and the controllers, and they transmit and receive data simultaneously. In this case, the television game system employs a handshaking method whereby when data is to be transmitted or received, first, agreement is reached concerning the protocol of the speed or format, etc. by which the data is to be transmitted and received, and data is transmitted and received based on this agreement.
In an interactive application such as a television game system, in order to improve the sense of immediacy of operation by the user, it is important that the operation information input through the controller be quickly reflected in the sound and images of the television game machine. Generally, in a television game machine, operation information from the controller is acquired while one image frame is being scanned on the monitor, and the image for the next frame is generated based on this operation information. Therefore in a television game machine, in order to improve the picture quality with limited computational capacity, the time for acquiring operation information from the controller must be kept as short as possible, and the time for generating a one-frame image must be set as long as possible.
Meanwhile, depending on the application that is to be used, sometimes multiple controllers are connected to the television game machine. Also, sometimes a controller is used not just for inputting digital data such as a simple on/off switch, but for inputting an analog signal via a joystick in order, for example, to specify a desired spot on the display. Moreover, the controller is sometimes also used to provide feedback information to the user, such as impact or vibration. This all has tended to increase the communication time between the television game machine main unit and the controllers in television game systems.
However, a television game system must shorten the communication time in order to improve the picture quality, as mentioned above. One way to realize such shortening of the communication time would be to increase a data transfer rate between the television game machine main unit and the controller. However, in a television game system, simply increasing the transfer rate will also increase the so-called unwanted radiation that is produced from the cable that connects the television game main unit machine with the controller. Available as communication systems that prevent an increase in such unwanted radiation are the low-voltage difference signal (LVDS) communication system, the double shielded line communication system, the optical fiber communication system, and the infrared communication system. Among these, what are effective are LVDS communication systems in which the number of signal lines is reduced and the shielding is strengthened, such as, for example, USB (universal serial bus) or IEEE 1394 (the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers 1394).
When the number of cable signal lines in a television game system is thus reduced, full-duplex communication or synchronous communication, or efficient communication employing control lines, becomes difficult, so there is no other alternative but to carry out all data transmission and reception or communication control with a half-duplex communication system. Therefore, for example with the USB, when data is to be transmitted or received, and transmission and reception are done separately, first a protocol is established for the speed and format by which the data shall be transmitted and received, then the data is transmitted and received based on this protocol.
In such a television game system, if the volume of data communication to be transferred after establishment of the protocol is large, the volume of data communication required for establishing the protocol (the so-called overhead) will be smaller than the volume of data communication to be transferred, and can be ignored. However, in a video game system, the volume of data communication to be transferred between the television game machine main unit and the game controllers is smaller than the volume of data communication to be transferred if a computer peripheral device, printer, speaker, modem, etc. are connected to the television game machine main unit. Thus a television game system requires, in addition to the volume of data communication to be transferred after the protocol is established, an overhead involving a large volume of communication, and as a result, the problem arises that the communication time increases.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game device, game machine operation device, a game system, and a game device two-way communication method which can transmit and receive data at a higher speed than conventional devices of the type under consideration.
This and other objects of this invention are attained by a game device that employs a half-duplex serial communication system as its system of communication with game machine operation devices connected via a serial port, and which comprises means for combining, based on the identifiers of said game machine operation devices supplied from each game machine operation device, a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character with a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and it switches the communication protocol to a communication protocol that corresponds to the game machine operation device.
By combining a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character and a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and switching the communication protocol to the communication protocol that corresponds to the game machine operation device, the amount of communication required between the game device and the game machine operation devices can be minimized to a greater extent than in the case of simply transmitting and receiving data for each single character as previously.
Also, in the present invention, a game machine operation device is proposed, which employs a half-duplex serial communication system as its system of communication with a game device to which it is connected via a serial port, and which has an identifier that is unique to said game machine operation device, and comprising means for providing the identifier to the game device when said game machine operation device is connected to said game device, to cause the game device to combine a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character and a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and to switch the communication protocol to the communication protocol that corresponds to said game machine operation device.
By combining a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character and a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and switching the communication protocol to the communication protocol that corresponds to the game machine operation device, the amount of communication required between the game device and the game machine operation devices can be minimized to a greater extent than in the case of simply transmitting and receiving data for each single character as previously.
Also, according to this invention, a game system is provided, in which a game device and game machine operation devices are connected via a serial port and that employs a half-duplex serial communication system as its system of communication between said game device and game machine operation devices, wherein the game device combines, based on the identifiers of said game machine operation devices supplied from the game machine operation devices, a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character with a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and switches the communication protocol to the communication protocol that corresponds to the game machine operation device, and game machine operation devices that each have an identifier that is unique to the game machine operation device and give the identifier to the game device when the game machine operation device is connected to the game device.
By combining a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character and a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and switching the communication protocol to the communication protocol that corresponds to the game machine operation device, the amount of communication required between the game device and the game machine operation devices can be minimized to a greater extent than in the case of simply transmitting and receiving data for each single character as previously.
Also, according to the invention, a game device two-way communication method is provided, that employs a half-duplex serial communication system as its system of communication with game machine operation devices connected via a serial port, and based on the identifiers of said game machine operation devices supplied from the game machine operation devices, it combines a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character and a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and switches the communication protocol to a communication protocol that corresponds to the game machine operation device.
By combining a communication protocol that transmits and receives data for each single character and a communication protocol that transmits or receives data for two or more characters in a row, and switching the communication protocol to the communication protocol that corresponds to the game machine operation device, the amount of communication required between the game device and the game machine operation devices can be minimized to a greater extent than in the case of simply transmitting and receiving data for each single character as previously.